I recently had the pleasure of listening to a series of short crime stories set in Australia, and I must say, it was a delightful departure from my usual reading choices. The narrative was compelling, each story intricately woven with suspense and unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat.

What truly stood out to me was the exceptional quality of the audio production. The voice acting was superb, bringing the characters to life with distinct personalities and emotions. The sound effects and background score were thoughtfully integrated, enhancing the atmosphere and immersing me in the gritty, often dark settings of the stories.

Despite not typically gravitating towards crime fiction, I found myself thoroughly engaged. The stories were well-paced and succinct, making it easy to enjoy them in short sittings. This experience has certainly broadened my literary horizons, and I look forward to exploring more from this genre and perhaps even revisiting these captivating Australian crime stories.

I’m not usually a fan of short stories, but these thirteen shorts are connected and I was intrigued

The stories span over a twenty year period, each narrator indirectly linked to the same serial killer. There’s a ripple effect, so even someone that knew someone that knew someone, are effected by the killings

The stories vary, the characters ordinary and unique each in their own way. There’s a nun, a stoner, a Brit and politician with the same name as the killer…

As much as I loved the idea and enjoyed each story, I wanted more… maybe a crossover, a less tenuous connection or more drama… I like that the serial killer wasn’t in the book, but I did crave more action

The audiobook narrators were all very good, and matched one another’s smooth vibe - I do love an Australian accent

I feel kind of inspired having read these stories and gratitude for my ‘normal’ existence which mirrored these ‘ordinary’ stories

An unusual but well written and entertaining read

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this intriguing book in exchange for an honest review. This is a collection of short stories with a shared setting- Highway 13 in Australia near a small town that ends up being home to a serial killer. These stories bounce around in eras- some set in the 50s all the way to 2024 each with their own characters and clues. I did struggle a bit with this. Even though the stories were well written and entertaining I think I was still searching too hard for the murderer as I did mix up the characters occasionally. My favorite chapter was a podcast hosted by two friends updating their audience. It was so well hosted I wanted a real podcast hosted by them. But overall, well-done.

The way the each story in Highway Thirteen unfolds - each from a different narrative perspective (am I using that right?) - disclosing information piece-by-piece is my favorite way to be brought into a story. Not the storyline itself, but the way each story pieces together, reminded me a lot of Penance or even (this one is a totally diff vibe but still) Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey.

Unfortunately my Audiobook ALC didn't have each story titled, but I know my favorite was Fat Suit (10th story, I think?) My 2nd favorite was the 13th story.

I'd HIGHLY highly recommend listening to the audiobook vs reading the print version, the narrators are spot on for each character and the story that's essentially an episode of a podcast is GOLD. Very, very well done.

{Thank you bunches to NetGalley, Fiona McFarlane and publisher for the Audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review!}

I was intrigued by the concept here. I'm not normally a fan of short stories, but have enjoyed them when they are either written by an author I already enjoy and set in a world I already know or when they are intermeshed or build off of one another. I think this is because my primary issue with short stories is that I usually feel like I'm left wanting more - more character development, more build up, more revelation... So when I saw this set of stories that all surround one highway and one serial killer, I was intrigued. The cover art and blurb helped draw me in, as did the positive reviews. Unfortunately, for me this wasn't enough to draw me in or keep my attention... I'm in the vast minority here, but I just couldn't get into this one. There's nothing wrong or that I can point to. The narration is well done and the storytelling is fine, but I just couldn't connect to the characters and never felt drawn into the world the author set out here. I found the stories oddly unsatisfying - that feeling of wanting more detail never left me. This just wasn't a good fit for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for the book #HighwayThirteen by #FionaMcFarlane. This book is a series of stories about a serial killers crimes. It pans over different time periods but somehow all linked.